The Louisville football team is going head-to-head with Eastern Kentucky in just two days, and the Cardinals fans are buzzing with excitement. Louisville's 2025 roster is generating the most buzz since Jeff Brohm took the head coaching job, and this roster has a chance to make this year special.
The Cardinals will be led by many newcomers on both sides of the ball, while also featuring elite players from the 2024 team who are expected to make a significant jump for this upcoming season. The Cardinals turn to the Colonels, against whom Louisville holds a 30-7 record, and the Cardinals look to earn their 31st win this Saturday, August 30, from L&N Stadium.
Louisville opens up as 38.5-point favorites over Eastern Kentucky, and for a win like that to happen, the Louisville Cardinals fans can expect these three players to have a breakout performance and be unstoppable on Saturday.
3 Louisville players poised for breakout performances Week 1 vs Eastern Kentucky
3. Isaac Brown
Isaac Brown is coming off an All-ACC true freshman season where he broke multiple freshman program records. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry last season and returns to college football with the most rushing yards from 2024. He ran for 1,173 rushing yards in 2024 and is not only expected to do similar things in 2025 but also to take a jump in his sophomore season, earning more carries, which will lead to more rushing yards.
A year ago, against Austin Peay, Brown ran for 123 yards on just five carries and found the endzone once. Expect Brown to be used a bit more this game, but have a similar dominant performance. Brown won't get too much action Saturday after Louisville blows the game open, but when he is on the field Saturday, expect another Week 1 breakout performance.
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2. Clev Lubin
On the defensive side, the defensive line should have a massive performance as this Eastern Kentucky offense is incredibly inexperienced, especially their offensive line. Louisville's defensive line should get out to a hot start in 2025 and dominate the trenches in Week 1, especially Coastal Carolina transfer Clev Lubin.
Lubin had a phenomenal Fall Camp and is expected to be a key starter on the Cardinals' defensive line. Many will have their eyes on the 6-foot-3 250 250-pound edge rusher as he appears to be Ashton Gillotte's replacement. Last year, in Week 1, the Cardinals' defense earned seven sacks, including one from Gillotte. The Cardinals expect Lubin to have a field day in Week 1 and stand out, proving that the Cardinals' defensive line is much better than fans and experts think.
1. Miller Moss
All eyes are going to be on Miller Moss in Week 1, and the USC transfer is going to have another breakout performance to start the season. Moss is eager to get on the field with his new squad after being benched by the Trojans, and his track record tells Louisville fans he is poised for a breakout performance to start his lone season with the Cardinals. Last year, Moss completed 75 percent of his passes and threw for 378 yards and a touchdown, and led USC to a massive win over the No. 13 LSU Trojans.
Jeff Brohm will start his third transfer quarterback for the Cardinals, and history tells Louisville fans to expect a massive performance from Moss. The previous two quarterbacks got off to a hot start for the Cardinals, as Tyler Shough and Jack Plummer each threw over 240 yards and three or more touchdowns to begin their years at Louisville. The Cardinals fans can expect similar results from Moss on Saturday.
Related: Why Miller Moss is going to light up Eastern Kentucky Week 1 for Louisville football
Louisville and Eastern Kentucky will kick off on August 30 at 3 p.m. local time. For all the latest on Louisville football's 2025 season, stay tuned.